The Florida Conference of the United Methodists teamed with CREW for Wilma recovery (2005) as preparations for new season (2007) begin. The executive director of CREW, Trish Adams, LCSW is not only a member of the First United Methodist Church in Clewiston Florida, but is also a member of the missions committee and is Social Action Chair of the Church's chapter of the United Methodist Women. Pastor John Hicks of this same church, was instrumental in helping to get CREW started, along with members of the Clewiston Ministerial Church. UMCOR currently funds four case managers and one Construction Coordiator. The Church loaned CREW office space until they out grew it to help them get started in assisting Hurricane Wilma victims. Pastor Thom Street of the First United Methodist Church in Moorehaven has also been instrumental in helping CREW and along with Pastor John has served on the Board of Directors since its inception. CREW has office space which they use once a week at the Moorehaven Church. Pastor Thom and Trish Adams have worked closely with Emergency Mangers in Glades county and will assist with Radio communications, managing donations and volunteers and planning for sheltering if necessary, should another disaster strike.
Trish Adams, also is the long term recovery coordinator for United Way of Lee Hendry and Glades counties. Most recently she was appointed as a member at large for the Florida VOAD. She was also recognized by Volunteer Florida Foundation for excellence at the Governor's Hurricane Conference in Ft. Lauderdale earlier this month. According to an article on FLUMC website, "In April she traveled to New Mexico to receive a National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) award on behalf of CREW for excellence in long-term recovery partnerships. 'The reason we got the award was because we partner with so many people and because we come from such a small town that has few resources,' Adams said. ' … We’ve pulled in national, local and state organizations — faith-based and otherwise — different people have pitched in and helped us.'
Both the Florida Conference and CREW continue to need volunteers for storm recovery. “We’re hoping that within the next 12 months we can finalize all of the Wilma victims,” Adams said. “The main reason it’s taking so long in our community is a lack of resources and a lack of funding.” Other factors affecting the length of the recovery time include dealing with undocumented workers who are afraid to ask for assistance and language barriers, Adams said. ...Gricell Hernandez noted, the entire process of applying for assistance and verifying actual needs takes time.'"
Trish Adams, also is the long term recovery coordinator for United Way of Lee Hendry and Glades counties. Most recently she was appointed as a member at large for the Florida VOAD. She was also recognized by Volunteer Florida Foundation for excellence at the Governor's Hurricane Conference in Ft. Lauderdale earlier this month. According to an article on FLUMC website, "In April she traveled to New Mexico to receive a National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) award on behalf of CREW for excellence in long-term recovery partnerships. 'The reason we got the award was because we partner with so many people and because we come from such a small town that has few resources,' Adams said. ' … We’ve pulled in national, local and state organizations — faith-based and otherwise — different people have pitched in and helped us.'
Both the Florida Conference and CREW continue to need volunteers for storm recovery. “We’re hoping that within the next 12 months we can finalize all of the Wilma victims,” Adams said. “The main reason it’s taking so long in our community is a lack of resources and a lack of funding.” Other factors affecting the length of the recovery time include dealing with undocumented workers who are afraid to ask for assistance and language barriers, Adams said. ...Gricell Hernandez noted, the entire process of applying for assistance and verifying actual needs takes time.'"
CREW has a long history of working with numerous Methodist Churches, 
as described here. The First United Methodist Churches of Moorehaven and Clewiston donated space for our volunteer to sleep when they visit gave them use of kitchen facilities, provided goods from their thrift store and food pantry to clients and volunteers as needed, and along with local restaurants and some local church members, have all donated or home cooked meals and/or given discounted prices to volunteer CREWs. Grace United Methodist Church donated Cash, as well as sending out repeated groups, almost monthly to help Hendry and County residents. Grace has also participated in CREW fundraisers and worked side by side with CREW in public awareness campaigns at local fairs throughout both counties. East Lake United Methodist has also come many times, sleeping overnight on the floors of First United Methodist before getting to work, repairing roofs and hanging drywall.
as described here. The First United Methodist Churches of Moorehaven and Clewiston donated space for our volunteer to sleep when they visit gave them use of kitchen facilities, provided goods from their thrift store and food pantry to clients and volunteers as needed, and along with local restaurants and some local church members, have all donated or home cooked meals and/or given discounted prices to volunteer CREWs. Grace United Methodist Church donated Cash, as well as sending out repeated groups, almost monthly to help Hendry and County residents. Grace has also participated in CREW fundraisers and worked side by side with CREW in public awareness campaigns at local fairs throughout both counties. East Lake United Methodist has also come many times, sleeping overnight on the floors of First United Methodist before getting to work, repairing roofs and hanging drywall.Volunteers came from Methodist Churches from Boca, Plantation, Cape Coral, and Palm Harbor in Florida, Tanjier and Manassas, VA as well as Maryland. We received actual cash as well as in-kind donations from various United Methodist Churches and over 40,000 volunteer hours. Volunteers from Grace United Methodist after repairing roofs one day, stopped by to help our executive director share the need at a Gospel Sing Fundraiser last year for CREW. A Methodist Church from Palm Harbour donated flood buckets to CREW for clients in Lake Port who were flooded out by Tropical Storm Ernesto. First Untied Methodist Church of Lakeland also sent volunteers on several locations. As you can see, CREW has had a multitude of Methodists helping them, as well as numerous groups and individuals from other faiths.
http://www.flumc.info/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000036/003642.htm
Disaster ministry leaders say ‘time to prepare is now’:
http://www.flumc.info/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000036/003642.htm
Disaster ministry leaders say ‘time to prepare is now’:
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